Lemon Pepper Seasoning

I love lemon pepper on a *lot* of things, but sometimes store-bought lemon pepper seasoning can feel… underwhelming because we lose a lot of the flavor when shortcuts are taken (like using dried chunks of lemon peel with the pith still attached instead of just the zest that has been dehydrated!) So now that it is lemonade season (and I assure you I have LOTS of lemonade recipes in the works) let’s put that leftover lemon zest from juicing to use!

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Because lemon pepper seasoning is such a ‘basic’ recipe, what really takes the seasoning from ‘fine’ to amazing is the quality of the ingredients. If you don’t have the time or inclination to dehydrate, crush, or some of the other steps, that is completely okay, you can use the ratio of ingredients as listed, but starting fresh is best!

Lemon Pepper Seasoning Ingredients

Lemon Pepper Seasoning Method

Dehydrating the Produce

Use a rasp or fine zester to zest each of the lemons, trying to avoid as much pith (the bitter, white part of the lemon) as possible. Then spread the fresh zest in a single layer on a lined tray then dehydrate. Lemon zest is perfectly fine to let air dry if your home is dry enough (Colorado is definitely dry enough, but some humid places might not be!)

If you are air drying, this might several days. Let the zest dry at room temperature out of direct sunlight until it is completely dry. However, I prefer using my dehydrator to dehydrate at 95 degrees until crunchy. I feel using a dehydrator is more thorough and gets an even result, so the seasoning will stay fresh and good longer!

I also dehydrate my own garlic and parsley. I know this is a little over-the-top, but freshness! These two ingredients are less important to create fresh though.

To dehydrate the garlic, slice each clove in half (necessary- the skin tends to keep moisture in!) arrange them on dehydrator trays and dehydrate* at 135° for 12 hours or until the cloves snap in half. Pop the cloves and reserved paper into a food processor and process, periodically sifting the powder out. (Want to see this in action? Watch this video.)

Dehydrating parsley is also easy! Just give it (stems and all!) a rough chop and dehydrate on your dehydrator’s herb setting until you can crumble the leaves between your fingers. If you’re purchasing store bought, look for a jar with the brightest green leaves you can find!

Prep the Peppercorns

Store-ground pepper and freshly ground pepper taste different because of the volatile oils that are preserved in the peppercorns. When we freshly grind the pepper and then mix with the other ingredients immediately, we preserve a lot of that flavor! I like using a mortar and pestle with a heavy, stone pestle to crush the peppercorns and then slowly grind. How fine you want your ground pepper to be is up to you!

Mix the Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Now, the easy part! Just combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and then store in an airtight container out of direct light for up to 6 months.

The key here is to make sure that everything is COMPLETELY dry- you don’t want moisture ruining your seasoning!

_{Some links are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Photos by Becky Duffyhill}